Chapter 12

Scarlett's POV

I sat on the giant bed, looking around. I wasn't crying any longer. I barely even cried for 15 minutes. The aesthetics of this room almost convinced me that the other room that was creepy wasn't a part of the house.

The bed was a King's size bed. It'd comfortably take twice Franklin's size.

The walls were blue with several acrylic paintings all over. However Franklin discovered this place, it has something to do with a very rich family.

I could not do anything for hours until Franklin's steps were closer to my room. He knocked so gently that one would have thought he was human.

By the time I rushed to open the door, he was gone, but there was a plate of chicken wings and a book.

My stomach gurgled at the sight of it, and it made me realize how hungry I was the whole time.

I hurriedly took the food in with the book. It was a novel about a fallen war lord trying to find love.

I was kept company by the tale of the bittersweet love story between Tariq and Alicia. I slept off not long after eating, and when I woke up, it was night.

I tried sniffing Frankin in, but it didn’t seem like he was around the house.

“He has probably gone on a night hunt.” I muttered to myself, seeing the best opportunity to escape.

Instead of running off into the dark night to save my soul from destruction, I immersed myself in the boom Franklin had dropped at my doorstep, and I didn't stop reading until I finished the book. He had arrived by that time, and I had slept off again.

I had just woken up when I heard a gentle knock on my door.

“Scarlett?” Franklin called softly, and the bass that came with it tickled.

“What?” I asked, folding my arms, acting like I could do that to his face.

“Can I come in?” Franklin asked, and I scoffed, taken aback.

“Yeah?” I responded, shocked that he didn't just barge in.

Slowly, the door creaked open and Franklin walked in. He was still the beast that scared me, and my mate all the same.

“Why are you here?” I asked with a sad tone, pinning my gaze to the bed, just in case he was going to get angry again.

“Why didn't you run away during the night?” Franklin asked, but my gaze was still fixed to the ground. “I purposely left so you'd escape.”

“I didn't want to.” I glanced at him, and then looked away.

“Hmn.” He muttered. “Okay.”

“I'm sorry for snapping at you.” Franklin said, and I blushed uncontrollably. I fought it really hard, but it was a losing battle. “I was in the heat of whatever that was, so… yeah… sorry.”

“Okay.” I responded.

“Are you done with the book?” Franklin asked, looking at the finished book beside me, and the plate that was right beside me.

“Yeah.” I shrugged. “And thank you for the chicken wings.”

“I've not eaten anything since then.” I quickly added and he chuckled.

“What do you like eating?” He asked.

“Buffalo wings.” I simply responded, raising my head to look at him.

“Well then, let's go make some buffalo wings, and you'd tell me all about that book.” Franklin said, leaving the room. I sprung up from the bed and followed behind him like a good girl.

Whilst Franklin cooked, I sat on the kitchen counter and yapped on an on about the book. At some point, he'd air his disagreements, and we'd argue and laugh. It almost felt like he didn't make jokes about killing me or even scare me to death.

When he was done making the wings, we ate and watched a crime documentary. I was never really a fan of documentaries until we watched this one. I was immersed in it that I didn't realize that the whole day had gone by, and it was already night again. I had spent two days away from the Academy. Two days away from my friends. Two days away from my family that keeps hunting me down like a dog.

“What do you want to watch next?” Franklin asked , crunching another one of the buffalo wings.

I didn't respond since I wanted to ask another question that could get him very angry. And this time, his crash out might make him kill me. I could feel his eyes pressing against my body, but I didn't look at him to avoid changing my mind or gettung intimidated.

“You have a question again.” Franklin sighed, shifting his gaze from me.

I looked at him, and for a beast, his face had this cute sad look.

“Promise me you'll not get angry.” I asked.

“Just ask away already.” He muttered, dropping the bowl of wings on the table.

“Can you really not remember anything?” I asked, and he scoffed.

“I don't.” He responded sharply.

I was about to reply when I felt something really wrong. My gut feeling told me something wasn't right.

I focused all my senses on my earing, closing my eyes to be able to span longer. I could hear footsteps. Just one person, and he moved with purpose. He was swift and heavy.

“You have to let me go.” I said, still closing my eyes, just in case he'd snap my neck.

Franklin was silent, and he was no longer beside me. I slowly and carefully opened my eyes to look at him, and he was standing at the far end of the room, looking very furious.

“I'll find out where you're from, how you got to this state, and the best way to help you out, but I have to leave here first.” I whispered.

Franklin scoffed, and that was when I noticed that his hands were tightened like he was about to punch something. My heart rate spiked so far up that I almost lost balance.

“And I also promise to come back for regular check ups with you. I'll also keep your secret. And it'll be better if you let me go because my mother wouldn't stop finding me, and I don't think you'd want her to see you.” I said, but Franklin was still silent. All he had done was scoff and hold back his right hand with his left like he'd lose control. “Let me help you, but first, I have to leave.”

“Okay.” Franklin shrugged with an head nudge. “Leave.”

“Huh?” I muttered, not expecting it to be so easy.

“Just like everyone does, leave.” Franklin muttered. “And I don't care if you come back here with an army, just leave.”

Franklin was still calm, but with his exasperated breathing, and the outraged look on his face, I wasn't sure how long that'd bold.

“No, Franklin, that is not what I'm…”

“I said LEAVE!!!” Franklin shouted, slamming the table. It broke into two, and I shook, running towards the door immediately. Fear gripped my heart, and there were goosebumps all over my body, but I didn't stop running.

I heard the footsteps of the person that was in the woods drawing closer, and also the beastly screams of Franklin.

I didn’t stop running. My heart was beating so fast, it felt like it might burst. The trees rushed past me. The cold air bit at my skin. Behind me, I could still hear Franklin's angry roar. It echoed through the woods deeply terrifying.

Ahead of me, the footsteps got heavier. My mind held onto the hope that it was Thane. Maybe he had come for me. Maybe he had heard the scream. Maybe be regretted his actions and wanted to redeem himself

The steps drew unbearably closer, and when we crossed paths, I shifted back to properly see who was standing a few feet away from me.

“Zion!” I screamed, jumping at him.

“Scarlett!” Zion said, coughing and chuckling. “I never thought I'd find you.”

I was about to break down in tears again when Franklin's howl shook the forest. He was actually crashing out. The wind got violent, and trees shook all around us.

“Run!!”